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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27023479">No One Else Can Know...</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pimentos_Mementos/pseuds/Pimentos_Mementos'>Pimentos_Mementos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Henry Stickmin - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Mentions of Death, Oneshot, Reginald is a little shit but he has his reasons, Right Hand Man doesn’t actually say anything in this, The Betrayed ending, mentions of guns, mild violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:34:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,222</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27023479</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pimentos_Mementos/pseuds/Pimentos_Mementos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Reginald had thought that he had gotten away with it. Henry Stickmin would be no more. He thought that the Toppat Clan would just move on, like they’ve done with every other previous leader, however, one Toppat suspects foul play. </p><p>A short angsty oneshot that takes place in between the events of The Betrayed ending from Fleeing the Complex and the Revenged ending from Completing the Mission.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>No One Else Can Know...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reginald looked down at the ocean below as Henry plummeted to what the former (now current) chief assumed (and hoped) was his demise. Making sure that Henry wouldn’t end up pulling anything that would get him out in the nick of time like he seemed to have a knack for. Once he saw the smallest of what could be considered a splash, he sighed and relaxed against the rails.</p><p>“It’s finally over…”<br/>
He muttered to himself, sighing with relief. He couldn’t just leave Henry to put the clan into the dirt, no, he couldn’t afford to have to put himself in charge of damage control yet again. It was more than just jealousy and lust for power that caused Reginald to throw Henry to his doom, at least it’s what he wanted to believe. There was something about the young leader that reminded him all too much of another leader that came before him. Opportunistic, reckless, seemed to pull through due to luck more than anything else. His luck would have to run out at this point, and when it did, the entire clan would be subject to it.</p><p>Obviously he couldn’t dethrone him publicly. Many of the Toppats still trapped in the honeymoon phase and unaware of how much of a threat he was wouldn’t allow that. It was just a relief that he could dispose of him before it was too late, and by the looks of it, with no witness-</p><p>“Sir…?”<br/>
Reginald turned around completely startled at the sudden voice. Only for his pulse to slow to a crawl and his heart to sink into his chest at the notion that he may not have been as discrete as he had hoped. Not only that, but of all the Toppats that could’ve possibly seen him, it had to be the worst possible one.</p><p>Thomas Chestershire did not just enjoy Henry’s brief leadership of the Toppat Clan, no, he straight up idolised the man. It was evident not only by the shift in his tone once Henry was in power, but his apparent slump once Henry had gone missing. Most of the clan members had moved on at that point, coming up with their own theories as to what happened to Henry; though they all ended the same, that he was gone and never coming back. Thomas however, never seemed to want to believe it, always asking if anyone had heard any news about him yet, trying to persuade Reginald into sending out some pitiful search party instead of focusing on his own duties, his own mood dropping  and not being able to work as efficiently both before and during Henry’s leadership.</p><p>So Reginald wasn’t exactly all that pleased to know that Thomas may have seen what he had just done.<br/>
“Sir…” he spoke again, trying to get his attention. His hands were clasped together, yet it was still very obvious that they were trembling just as much as his voice was.<br/>
“Where is Henry?”</p><p>Though that answer seemed rather pointless, as Thomas would have to be one of the most oblivious men in the world to not know where Henry was. He wasn’t on the balcony, he wasn’t anywhere to be found on the airship, and with the ship moving away from the complex, he could only assume Henry was no longer there either.<br/>
He didn’t want to believe, he refused to believe it. There was no way that Henry could be… Thomas shook his head slightly and walked up to the rails himself and looked down, hoping that he would be able to see him down there, alive. Only for Reginald to finally answer him.</p><p>“He’s gone, Thomas.”</p><p>In that moment, Thomas could’ve sworn that his heart had sunk into his stomach. Had he any colour in his face, it would’ve drained. He just continued to shake his head and look around for him.<br/>
“No… no! He can’t be gone.”<br/>
The Toppat insisted, his breathing got heavy and rapid and his blue-tinted vision began to blur. Despite the fact that it was snowing rather heavily outside, he felt his body heat soaring at an alarming rate.<br/>
“We have to find him! Help get him back together. It worked for the Right Hand Man, surely it can work with him! I’ll go down there myself if I need to, but we can’t just leave-“</p><p>Though before Thomas could go on, Reginald made an attempt to stop him by firmly placing his hand on the other’s shoulder and turning him around.<br/>
“Forget him, Thomas. He’s gone.”<br/>
“But…”<br/>
“That’s an order.”<br/>
Reginald practically snarled, his patience wearing thin, before he turned on his heels and started to make his way towards the door, “We can’t save everyone, and I am not wasting our time and resources to search for a dead man just to make you feel better. Everyone else has moved on, it’s high time you did the same.”</p><p>He could’ve just left it at that, but Reginald just couldn’t help himself, needing to hammer one final nail into the coffin, unaware that if he just kept quiet the situation would’ve ended then and there.<br/>
“Besides… he wasn’t as good of a leader as you thought he was.” </p><p>Despite the chief’s orders, the situation still couldn’t sit right with Thomas. Yes, in his time of the clan he had seen fellow members die, even some who he would’ve been close to, but this just didn’t feel the same. Reginald’s advice just seemed so… empty, so disingenuous… to the point where Henry’s death meant nothing to him. To the point where he would mock him when the body had yet to go cold. No… it couldn’t be… could it?<br/>
Without even thinking, Thomas blocked the door for Reginald and pulled out his gun and aimed it towards him.<br/>
“You… you knew that Henry wouldn’t be coming back. That’s why you feel nothing. You made sure that he wouldn’t be coming back! Didn’t you?”

Reginald’s eyes widened as he saw the usually timid and obedient Toppat go as far as to pull out his weapon on one of his own, let alone the chief. Though he didn’t stay shocked for long, his eyebrows just lowered to their original state and he didn’t even flinch at the sight.
“You’re being ridiculous, Thomas. Put the gun down.”</p><p>Though Thomas did not obey. Instead he just shook his head while biting his lip. His body immersed in what felt like a spontaneous rage. His vision blurring once again, and then smearing as tears seemed to well up in his eyes and fall down his face, some staining the lenses of his monocles.<br/>
“No! I’m not! You let him fall. You wanted this to happen. You made sure that he fell because you just couldn’t let go of your power. So much to the point where you… you’d let a man die! Have you no honour? No dignity?”<br/>
Thomas rarely ever shouted or even rose his voice, which was evident by the way it would break and strain upon the last word.</p><p>Reginald just sighed, if he let Thomas continue to go on like this, no doubt he would cause a scene and alert other members of the clan to come forward. He placed his hand into his own pocket, but instead of pulling out his own gun, he pressed a button on a walkie talkie. Right now he just needed to stall, and let whoever was on the other side know what was going on.<br/>
“And if I did do that? If I let him fall from this balcony to his doom, what are you even going to do about it? Are you going to shoot me, Thomas? Try to have the entire clan behind you once you walk back inside and they see my blood on your hands? For what? To avenge a murder you’re not even sure of yourself?”</p><p>With that, Reginald pulled both of his hands from his pockets and held them up as if he was surrendering.<br/>
“Though by all means, if you really do have it in you, I advise you take the shot. You wouldn’t want someone so dishonest and honourless leading you. You probably think you’re doing the clan a huge favour by disposing of me, so just do it already.”<br/>
Reginald was right. If Thomas just took the shot, he would be able to get rid of this conniving snake once and for all, avenge Henry’s untimely betrayal. The Toppat’s hands shook violently and his tears flooded down his heated face, landing onto the snow covered balcony.</p><p>He could do this… he could do this… he could…</p><p>However, before he could unload his lead into the leader’s head, he found himself freezing. What was he going to do after he shot him? Would they really believe a man who just shot the chief in complete seclusion without any proof of all that he’s guilty? That wouldn’t fix anything at all! No… the people had to know for themselves.<br/>
Thomas lowered the gun, and instead turned around himself and began to rapidly type in the PIN number for the door; his hands shaking so much that he had gotten it incorrect a few times; to which the chief just watched with intrigue. </p><p>He had been well aware that Thomas wouldn’t have brought himself to shoot him. Not just out of cowardice, but because Thomas simply knew better.<br/>
“Pray tell Thomas, what are you going to do now?”<br/>
Thomas almost growled at the sound of Reginald’s smug taunt, and just spat back an answer.<br/>
“Don’t think you’ve won! I’m going to tell everyone just what you did. Maybe not everyone will believe me, but I know that I will not be the only one.”<br/>
With that, Thomas had gotten the door open, only to walk right into somebody who had been waiting for him.</p><p>Right Hand Man had only just awoken with his new cybernetics not too long ago, so seeing the right hand, who at this point was more machine than man, startled Thomas. However, his fear seemed to slowly melt into relief.<br/>
“Right Hand Man! Thank goodness you’re here. It’s about Henry! The ch-  Reginald had just let him fall off the airship! He essentially went out of his way to get him killed! We need to go and get rid of him right away!”<br/>
However, Right Hand Man didn’t respond to Thomas’ accusations at all, just staring the Toppat down with both his one remaining eye and the crimson red screen on the other side. </p><p>Something seemed off about his reaction, or lack thereof. Once Reginald walked inside himself and stood behind him, did Thomas realise that something was wrong. Though in case he wasn’t already aware, Reginald spelled it out for him.<br/>
“Oh. I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere Thomas.”<br/>
Before the Toppat could even react, Right Hand Man grabbed the wrist that was still holding the gun and squeezed tightly, resulting in some kind of cracking noise to be heard and for Thomas to cry out in pain and drop his weapon as well as dropping himself to his knees. The Right Hand’s grip being a lot more harsh with his cybernetic hand, if he hadn’t broken his wrist, he’d have at least sprained it.</p><p>Reginald looked on without any semblance of remorse present in his expression or body language. Yes, he didn’t want to see a fellow Toppat get hurt in this way, but unfortunately it was what had to be done for the sake of the clan. Reginald simply nodded at Right Hand Man in approval before giving him more orders.<br/>
“Take him away. We can’t afford any more discourse to come from this little situation of ours. It is time we put this little mishap behind us once and for all.”<br/>
Nodding back, Right Hand Man was easily able to apprehend Thomas, pinning both arms behind his back and pushing him away. Already aware of his fate, Thomas dug his heels into the ground and made one last attempt to call out to Reginald.</p><p>“They will notice that I’m gone! Once they realise I’m locked up they’ll start to ask questions!”<br/>
Reginald just shrugged.<br/>
“Maybe they will. Who’s word do you think they’ll believe more? Their chief of many years who pulled them out of the depths of the Toppat’s worst days in both economy and reputation, or someone who is so deluded and obsessed with some opportunist that had no business being a leader in the first place to the point they threatened their own chief’s life?”<br/>
The chief didn’t even give Thomas time to answer, as he knew he had the Toppat cornered.<br/>
“We’ll come check on you before the launch, but for now, maybe you’ll need help coming back down to reality. Take him away.”</p><p>With that, Right Hand Man left towards the brig, taking Thomas with him.<br/>
Finally left on his own, Reginald let out the largest sigh of relief he could. The worst case scenario, Thomas wouldn’t comply and end up being left behind to be the government’s problem, best case scenario, he’ll learn to leave this little situation behind him. There was too much to do and too little time to be worked up about the past. Now was the time to move forward.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My first time writing something for this series so… yeah.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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